Ink fountain



May 19, 1959 .1. scHMUTz 2,887,048

INK FOUNTAIN Filed Nov. 14, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 7;-1-3 4 JNVENTOR.

. Janv; schuur? Arron/5y United States Patent O lNK FOUNTAIN Julius Schmutz, Glenview, Ky., assignor to Schmutz Manufacturing Company, Incorporated, Louisville, Ky., a corporation of Kentucky Application November 14, 1955, Serial No. 546,567

18 Claims. (Cl. 11--363) This invention relates to ink fountains foruse with printing apparatus and more particularly to non-pumping fountains having a roller serving as an ink dispensing means. Heretofore in fountains of this general type, di'culty has been experienced with leaks which develop after a period of use. Wear between movable and stationary parts of the fountain provides minute crevices through which liquid ink may seep and at the same time expansion and contraction of the several parts, as the apparatus becomes heated and cooled, further adds to the leakage. Moreover, the size of the slot` through which ink is fed to the roller must provide for adjustment in order to secure a uniform dispensing of ink. Encrustations of dried ink upon such adjustable means and elsewhere in the fountain frequently contribute further to the problem of leakage.

Accordingly it is an object of this invention to provide a substantially leak proof ink fountain.

A second object is to provide an improved ink fountain having non-leaking adjustable end plates.

`A third object is to provide an improved ink fountain having pressure exerting means holding the fountain end plates in engagement with the rotating dispensing means.

A further object is to provide an improved means for adjusting the size of the ink dispensing slot.

Still a further object is to provide a means for returning ink leakage at the ends of the rotating dispensing means into the interior of the fountain. j

Other objects and advantages Will become apparent as the description proceeds when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is a plan view of the ink fountain with a portion of the bottom plate broken away.

Figure 2 is a partial sectional view taken along line 2--2 of Figure l.

Figure 3 is an elevation of a portion of the fountain roller at its drive end, parts being shown in section, and

Figure 4 is a broken away plan view of a portion of the bottom plate showing the means for mounting both the bottom plate to the frame and the inker end plate to the bottom plate.

The ink fountain of the invention is mounted upon a suitable frame open `on one side and having a rear wall section 1 and end wall sections 2 and 3. Interiorly of `the walls the frame is formed with depressed stepped fountain except on one side, and may comprise a heavy casting providing the necessary support to the structure.

If desired, it may be a part of the printing press frame.

The fountain roller 11 forming a rotatable Wall of the ink chamber 7 is provided with a shaft having ends 12 and 13 detachably mounted in bearing housings 14 ice 2. and 15 which in turn are supported by the frame. Adjustably mounted fountain end plates 20 and 21 bear against the ends of roller 11, in a manner later to be described, and complete the confines of ink chamber 7. Normally, the maximum level of ink contained within this chamber is as indicated at 22 in Figure 2.

Against the rear Wall 1 of the frame a pair of yC-shaped resilient brackets 23 and 24 are provided into which the rear ends of the fountain end plates are securely embedded. These brackets may be formed of rubber or similar resilient material which is resistant to deterioration in the presence of ink and which provide for adjustment of the end plates in a direction axially of the roller. As shown in Figure 4, the bottom plate 6 is affixed to the upper ledge 4 of the frame by a row of suitably recessed screws 25 and is provided in the direction ofthe end plates with a row of oval shaped apertures or slots 26 through which suitable shoulder screws 27, shown in Figure 2, extend into engagement with the lower surface of the end plates. A recess 28 in the frame ledge 4 is provided for reception of the head of one such screw, the heads of the remaining screws attached to an end plate being accommodated in the adjusting chamber 8. In `order to prevent leakage beneath an end plate, a rubber washer 29 backed by a steel washer 30 may be employed to give a secure, though movable, fitting of the end plate to the bottom plate of the fountain.

As will thus be seen, both end plates are free to move a limited distance axially of the roller without resulting leakage caused by canting or curving ofI the plates. A `suitable structure 31 for providing the actuation of this movement is shown in Fig. 3 wherein a ball thrust bearing having a rst race 40 and a second race 41 is positioned upon Shaft 13 immediately outboard of end plate 20. Bearing against race 41 is an annular resilient pressure ring 42 of rubber or like resilient material having a series of projecting fingers 43 adapted to exert axial pressure upon race 41. Enclosing the pressure ring is a retainer ferrule 44 provided with a threaded hole for reception of a set screw, which fastens to the rotatable shaft 13.

At its opposite end, the roller 11 may cooperate with a Similar yieldable structure, including a ball thrust bearing in structure 32, located inboard of bearing housing 14, to clamp end plate 21 therebetween and thereby hold the end plate snugly against the end face of the roll and force it to move laterally with the roll as the latter undergoes axial or endwise expansion and contraction. Accordingly, when the fountain is first assembled the roller 11 is adjusted to the extreme center position into proper engagement with end plates 20 and 21 and the ferrule 44 is forced to the right as shown in Figure 3 thus compressing the resilient fingers 43 against race 41 after which a set screw is employed to lock the ferrule upon shaft 13. A corresponding adjustment is made upon the ferrule of structure 32. Thereafter upon rotation of the roller the inner races of the ball bearings held against the outer surfaces of the end plates remain stationary with those plates, whereas the outer races of the ball bearings rotate with the roller. When wear, or adjustment caused by thermal changes, occur, the resilient fingers of the two pressure rings accommodate a limited movement axially along the shaft, of the inner races of the ball bearings and of the abutting end plates of the fountain. The movement of the end plates, as previously described with respect to the oval shaped holes 26 and the resilient brackets 23 and 24 thus be accommodated without bending or canting and thus can take place without opening up leaks within the fountain..

As an important feature of the invention, provision is made for recapture within the fountain of any ink which may seep to the ends of roller 11 at the surfaces where the adjustable end plates are in contact with the roller.

As noted in Figure 2, the end plates are provided at their ends extending from the frame with a bifurcated projection into which the shaft ends are inserted. The entire lower portion of the bifurcated projection ts closely against the end surface of roller 11, Figure 3, whereas a shallow ink recapture groove Sil is formed in the inner surface lof the upper portion of the projection. This groove extends beyond the highest point of contact between the roller and the end plate, and preferably extends to a point El adjacent the normal level of ink within the fountain. A similar groove on the inner surface of the upper portion of the projection of end plate 21 is employed.

During rotation of inking roller lil, any ink moving to the ends of the roller tends to pass under the action of centrifugal force toward the extreme circumference of the roller. Such ink therefore moves to the region encompassed by the opening of grooves 5t) and remains on the end of the roller until the roller again meets the surface of the end plate. At this point, as shown in the vicinity of Si, the surface of the end plate acts as a doctor blade scraping off the thin surface of ink which then flows back into the ink space 7 As a further important part of the invention, an improved means is provided for adjusting the flow of ink from the fountain to the roller. The bottom plate 6 preferably is formed of a single relatively thin sheet, although it may be made of a plurality of cooperating sheets without departing from the broader aspects of the invention. ln general, the bottom plate has a width greater than the space between the fountain end plates and abuts at its rear edge against the rear wall of the frame. Forward of its engagement with the upper ledge 4 of the frame, the bottom plate is free to move upwardly or downwardly to an extent limited only by the confining action of the two fountain end plates attached thereto. As shown in Figure 2, a substantial opening is provided within the bifurcated ends of the end plates surrounding the roller shaft thus permitting a considerable range of adjustment of the bottom plate.

At its forward under edge 55 the bottom plate is bcvelled rearwardly for the dual purpose of diminishing any tendency of ink to drip and in order to give a narrow edge to the slot formed along the surface of the roller. The ledge 5 of the frame is provided with an inclined upwardly directed surface 56 upon which the forward edges of a series of separately movable slot adjusting members 5'7 are adapted to move. It is contemplated that a number of these adjusting members lying side by side will normally be employed, four such members being shown for purposes of illustration. These members are provided with rounded forward ends Sti and at their rear are provided with a rubber strip 59 backed by a spring i steel strip 60. The strips may also serve the function of maintaining any desired separation of adjacent members. The thus described arrangement is adapted to rest in adjusting chamber S beneath the bottom plate. A series of thumb screws el, one for each adjusting member', extends through the web of the frame in threaded engagement therewith between the ledges.

When it is desired to adjust, in any particular region, the narrow slot between edge 55 of the bottom plate and the surface of the roller ll, the particular thumb screw controlling an adjusting member 57 in that region is moved accordingly. The weight of ink in space 7 normally causes the members 57 to rest in their rearward positions. Turning the screw 6l forwardly then compresses the rubber strip 59 and forces the forward end 58 of the member upwardly along the inclined plane S6 whereupon the forward end contacts the under surface of the bottom plate and raises the edge 55 thereof into the desired relation to lthe surface of the inking roller. Since any scoring of the roller surface is to be avoided, the cushion provided by the resilient strip 59 and the slow camming action provided by the inclined plane permit a gradual adjustment of the slot opening Without danger of damage to the apparatus. Any suitable locking means can be provided for holding the thumb screws 61 in a selected position after the desired adjustment has been accomplished. By use of the plurality of adjusting members, the size of the slot can be adjusted as desired along its entire length giving either a uniform discharge of ink across the roller or a greater or lesser discharge of one or more selected regions.

By means of the arrangement described above, it will be apparent that the inking fountain is substantially leak proof and that the frequent cleaning and adjustment maintenance required of conventional fountains has been eliminated to a large extent in the improved structure thus provided.

With respect to the holding means for the end plate, it will be understood that the end plate face, which is pressed against the adjacent end of the roll, can be made yieldable. Preferably the holding means itself exerts a yieldable force. The holding means can be mounted on the frame, but, again it is preferably mounted on the shaft outside of the end plate as shown. When the end plate moves bodily with the roll upon endwise movement thereof, as it does in the preferred form, its rear-end is flexibly connected to the fountain frame While its lower end is slidably connected to and yieldably held against the fountain oor.

Where the adjusting screw arrangement is 4a rigid one, as heretofore, it will sometimes cause the forward edge of the fountain floor to engage and scratch or gouge the inking roll. This tendency, however, is either eliminated or substantially reduced in the present case by inserting a exible or yieldable element in the adjusting arrangement so that the floor is held yieldably, rather than rigidly, against the roll. Finally it will be understood and appreciated that the scraper at each end of the inking roll cooperates to render this fountain truly leakproof.

Having described my invention I claim:

1. An ink fountain comprising: a support; reservoirforming means on said support including a rotatable inking roll at the frontend of the reservoir and a nonrotatable end plate at one axial end face of the roll, the latter being subject to endwise expansion and contraction movement; and means holding one face of said end plate yieldably against the adjacent end face of said roll so that said plate face moves yieldably with said roll, during said endwise movement, to provide and maintain a snug relatively leak-proof joint between the said adjacent faces of said plate and roll.

2. The fountain of claim l wherein: said plate moves bodily with said roll during its expansion and contraction.

3. The fountain of claim 2 wherein said yieldable means is positioned on the outer side of said end plate and cooperates with the roll to clamp the end plate therebetween.

4. The fountain of claim 2: wherein said reservoirforming means includes a bottom plate, said end plate extending over the bottom plate and projecting forwardly therefrom across one end face of said roll; and means slidably mounting said end plate on said bottom plate for limited laterally directed sliding movement to accommodate end-wise expansion and contraction and to provide and maintain, between the end and bottom plates, a snug relatively leak-proof joint.

5. The fountain of claim 4- including: means exibly connecting the rear end of said end plate to said support to accommodate said lateral movement.

6. An ink fountain comprising: a support; reservoirforming means on said support including a rotatable inking roll at the front-end of the reservoir and a nonrotatable end plate at one axial end face of the roll; and means for scraping ink from said one end face of said roll and returning said ink to said reservoir, said scraping means including means forming an upwardly open groove between the upper portion of the end plate and the roll, said groove extending rearwardly on the descending side of the roll and communicating at its rear end with said reservoir.

7. The fountain of claim 6 wherein: the bottom of said groove is provided by a shoulder on said end plate and said shoulder scrapes ink from the roll into the groove.

8. An ink fountain comprising: a support; a bottom wall mounted on said support; a pair of laterally spaced end walls, one provided by an end plate extending over the bottom wall and projecting forwardly therefrom; a front wall, in the form of an inkng roll, extending horizontally between the inner faces of said end walls and cooperating with the front edge of the bottom wall to form an ink feeding slot therebetween, said roll being subject to endwisc expansion and contraction movement; and means yieldably holding said end plate snugly against the adjacent end face of said roll so as to force the end plate to move laterally with the roll during said endwise movement of the roll and to provide and maintain therebetween a snug relatively leak-proof joint.

9. The fountain of claim 8 wherein the holding means includes: yieldable means positioned on the outer side of said end plate and cooperating with the roll to clamp the end plate therebetween.

10. The fountain of claim 8 wherein the holding means includes: a shaft operatively positioned to project axially beyond said end plate from the adjacent end of said roll; and resilient means positioned on the outer side of the end plate and mounted on the shaft to cooperate with the roll to yieldably clamp said end plate therebetween.

l1. 'I'he fountain of claim 10 wherein the shaftmounted means includes: an axially movable ball thrust bearing having adjacent radially extending stationary and rotatable races encircling the shaft with the stationary race abutting the outer axial end face of said end i 14. The fountain of claim 8 including: means slidably mounting said end plate on said bottom wall for limited laterally-directed sliding movement and providing therebetween a snug relatively leak-proof joint which accommodates such movement.

l5. The fountain of claim 14 wherein the slidable mounting means includes a series of mechanical connections between the end plate and the bottom wall, each connection comprising: a laterally extending slot providing a passageway extending vertically through said bottom wall; fastening means, including a shank extending through said slot into the end plate structure to urge the end plate downwardly into flush engagement with the bottom wall; anda yieldable washer sealing the fastening means against the ow of ink from said fountain along said shank and through said slot, said washer extending around the shank and adjacent the lower end of said slot.

16, The fountain of claim 15 including: means flexibly connecting the rear end of said end plate to said support.

17. The fountain of claim 16 wherein: said flexible connecting means includes a member which is composed of yieldable material, mounted on said support and provided with a C-shaped groove which snugly receives the rear end of said end plate.

18. An ink fountain comprising: a support; an inking roll rotatably mounted in relation to said support; a pair of opposite end plates engaged :against the opposite end faces of said roll; a downwardly and forwardly inclined bottom plate extending between said end plates and having a front edge positioned adjacent said roll to provide an ink feeding slot therebetween; and means connecting the opposite end portions of said bottom plate to said end plates and providing a leak proof joint extending from the front edge of said bottom plate rearwardly for a substantial distance, said means including a resilient connection accommodating some relative lateral movement between one of a said end plates and said bottom plate.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 580,326 McCallum Apr. 6, 1897 980,454 Thomson Jan. 3, 1911 1,744,204 Boisseau et a1. Jan. 21, 1930 1,840,069 Walker et al. Jan. 5, 1932 2,451,634 Ranger Oct. 19, 1948 2,645,176 Perry July 14, 1953 

